25 Of Our Ultimate Budget-Friendly Vegan Recipes of 2018

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We shouldn’t have to break the bank to make good food. Eating healthy and delicious food can be simple. Over the course of 2018, we brought you plenty of delicious budget-friendly recipes. In case you missed them or just so that you’ll have them in 2019, we searched through our Food Monster App to bring you the 25 ultimate budget-friendly vegan recipes of 2018!

We hope you enjoy these meals and they help you realize how simple and delicious plant-based food can be!

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1. Roasted Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Spinach Curry

Sonja Trurnit‘s Roasted Red Pepper, Chickpea, and Spinach Curry is to die for! Chickpeas and spinach are blanketed in a rich, red pepper and coconut sauce. Not only is it spicy and fragrant, it is also good for you. If you’re looking for something that is rich in iron, look no further. What more could you want for dinner?

3. BBQ Pulled Carrot Rolls

The best comfort foods are simple and making this BBQ Pulled Carrot Rolls appetizer by Melanie Sorrentino is super-easy. Shredded carrots are the perfect whole foods based replacement for pulled pork. Drenched in a tangy, sticky barbecue sauce, these pulled carrot rolls are a guaranteed hit.

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4. Potato Kofta in Butter Sauce

These soft Potato Kofta in Butter Sauce by Melanie Sorrentino are served in a creamy sauce inspired by the Indian dish, butter chicken. The spiced sauce is completely dairy-free and gets its rich, creamy texture from coconut milk. Not only is this dish easy to make, it’s also super affordable and filling, especially when served with steamed rice!

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5. Grilled Sweet Potato Boats With Black Bean Mango Salsa

Looking for an easy meal to enjoy with company? Try Susan Edelman‘s Grilled, Stuffed Sweet Potato Boats! No flipping necessary. No poking. No nothing. Just stand around and enjoy your company. Serve this as a side dish or as a light main dish over a bed of kale.

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6. Smashed White Bean Avocado and Basil Sandwich

Instead of your typical chickpea salad, white beans are the star of this sandwich by Liz Martone. They’re mashed together with creamy avocado, whole grain mustard, lemon, and fresh basil. Leaving the beans slightly chunky gives them the perfect texture as a base for creamy avocado and crisp, fresh lettuce. Mixed with all those fresh flavors and tangy mustard, this easy sandwich is the perfect lunchtime staple for anybody.

7. Sticky Peanut Cauliflower Wings

Sticky, salty, spiced and totally addictive: Laura Hemmington‘s Sticky Peanut Cauliflower Wings might be a side dish, but this is one recipe that will have everyone overlooking the main meal at dinner; and once served, these tempting morsels don’t hang around for long on the table (never mind even making it to a plate).

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8. Rich and Comforting African Peanut Stew

Spicy, rich, and packed with good greens, Liz Mochrie‘s African Peanut Stew is just the soup you’ll want on a cold winter day. It also happens to be a cinch to whip up and budget friendly, too. Feel free to add in some diced sweet potato or yams in addition to the kale.

9. Roasted Potato and Onion Farinata: Italian Chickpea Pancake

Farinata is an Italian specialty – a thin, unleavened pancake or crepe made of chickpea flour. In this particular recipe by Hannah Teson, the Farinata is made with roasted potatoes and sautéed onions for a warm and comforting dish that’s perfect for chilly nights. Sprinkle some sage on top for some added fragrance and herby flavor.

10. Super Simple Potato Curry

It takes about 5 minutes to prepare Jennifer Harmon‘s Super Simple Potato Curry and then you just have to wait 20 minutes for it all to get hot and the potatoes to get soft. Basically, you cut the potatoes and then dump everything in a large sauce pan and simmer. Not quite as simple as throwing a pizza in the oven, but pretty damn close. This recipe is also extremely cheap to make and can feed the masses. I would double the serving if you have more than 2 or 3 people as I guarantee they will go back for seconds.

11. Easy Cheesy Broccoli and Brown Rice Bake

This Broccoli and Brown Rice Bake is easy and nourishing. It’s easy as can be, especially if you cook the brown rice in advance. Lots of broccoli-rice dishes require pre-blanching the broccoli or sautéing garlic and onions, but this recipe by Kelly Williams doesn’t call for that many steps. No, this dish is just about as simple as it gets! You pretty much just mix brown rice and broccoli in a casserole dish and stir it up with a basic cheesy sauce. Easy peasy.

12. Deviled Potato Bites

These classy-looking Deviled Potato Bites from the Crazy Vegan Kitchen are deceptively budget-friendly. Little potatoes are halved and roasted until their centers are soft and scoopable and then a creamy yellow hummus is piped in, giving them that “deviled egg” look. Piping in the hummus is totally optional, but it gives them that “wow” factor that will make them disappear from the serving platter in an instant.

13. 15-Minute Hot and Sour Thai Noodles

Jordan and Clark Cord‘s cold 15-Minute Hot and Sour Thai Noodles makes a bright and healthy side dish or a dinner for a small family. It’s all about the combination of textures and flavors — there’s tangy lime, crisp vegetables, salty tamari, zesty cilantro, crunchy peanuts, and chili peppers for heat. These noodles will be your new go-to. Take it to work for lunch, take it to cookouts, make it for your family. Trust us – you’ll knock their socks off with this one.

14. 20-Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Dana Sandonato‘s protein-packed Chickpea and Spinach Curry is the perfect meal in a pinch! If you’re a fan of chickpeas alone, you need this dish in your life. This curry will fill you up without weighing you down and the kicker is you can make it ahead of time and it freezes beautifully. The leftovers are delicious, if not better since the flavors mingle and get to know one another over time. Serve it over fluffy rice, with naan, as a side, or eat it on its own.

15. Red Lentil Tikka Masala

Everything about Kristen Genton‘s Red Lentil Tikka Masala is wonderful. The flavors are on point; the texture is on point; and the satisfaction is on point! Red lentils are cooked in a creamy, spicy sauce that will delight your palate and keep you full. Plus, it cooks in just 30 minutes!

16. Enchilada Pasta Casserole

This Enchilada Pasta Casserole by Conscious Chris is one of those recipes that you’ll make again and again – for potlucks, family gatherings, or otherwise. Plus you get all of the spice and flavor of Mexican food in the comforting shape of a casserole.

17. No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake Bars

Haven’t got the whole baking thing down but still want to indulge in seriously delicious dessert? Melanie Sorrentino‘s No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake Bars recipe is for you! It’s got an Oreo cookie crust, a velvety cream filling made with cream cheese, coconut milk, and more Oreos (of course), and a decadent chocolate topping because you can never have too much chocolate in one dessert. And the best part is, it’s simply a matter of setting up the layers and freezing, how much easier can it be?!

18. Oil-Free Breakfast Casserole With Hash Brown Crust

This Breakfast Casserole from the China Study Family Cookbook is a great make-ahead breakfast that you can make at the beginning of the week and then freeze for when you don’t have time to cook. Simply pull the casserole out of the freezer the night before you want to bake it and lets it thaw in the refrigerator. If you’re is coming home late from work, the kids can throw it in the oven and have a healthy dinner. And who doesn’t like breakfast for dinner?

19. Black Bean Loaf

This Black Bean Loaf has a nice crust and soft interior that just melts in your mouth. A “meatloaf” usually pretty much *needs* a little coating of ketchup baked into the top, but if that’s not your thing, then it’s not absolutely essential. Use any tomato sauce to serve, Natasha Condie mixed 50-50 homemade tomato sauce and ketchup.

20. Spinach Dip Crescent Roll Ring

A must-have at any party, Melanie Sorrentino‘s Spinach Dip Crescent Roll Ring is just delicious. Creamy, garlicky spinach dip is wrapped in crescent rolls and then baked until the rolls are crispy and golden and the dip is warm. It’s so easy to make, you may as well make two because it’ll disappear fast.

21. 6-Ingredient Oil-Free Kidney Bean Burger

These are the best and simplest Bean Burgers! Made with kidney beans and a total of six ingredients, these bean burgers by Annie Markowitz are gluten-free, oil-free, and full of flavor. You can serve them on any bun you like, make a wrap, or them as a salad topping, too. They cook in just 20 minutes, so they’re perfect for those busy days.

22. Spicy Black Pepper Tofu

Tara Binder‘s Spicy Black Pepper Tofu recipe is phenomenal not only in taste but visual appeal. Tofu is sautéed with shallots, fresh chili peppers, a healthy amount of garlic and ginger, and a special spice blend. This flavor-packed tofu dish is easy to make, cooks in under 30 minutes, and pairs wonderfully with rice or grains of your choice.

23. Sweet and Spicy Baked Cauliflower

Keep it simple with this oven-roasted side dish by Jordan and Clark Cord. Cauliflower florets are tossed in an irresistible sweet and spicy marinade and baked until tender. This is one of those recipes you can keep on hand, in the back of your mind when you see cauliflower on sale, when you have cauliflower that’s on the verge of going bad, or if you’re a huge fan of cauliflower.

24. Potato Gnocchi

I love how filling Josephine Watmore‘s Potato Gnocchi is and how it’s honestly not that hard to make at all. Serve with your favorite pasta sauces like marinara, pesto or even a vegan Alfredo. The sky is the limit with these pillow soft and totally comforting dumplings of joy.

25. High-Protein Curry Chickpea Sandwich

Give your lunch a delicious makeover with this tasty Curry Chickpea Sandwich recipe by Annabelle Randles. It’s packed with proteins and flavors. Chickpeas are mashed to a chunky paste and mixed with a fragrant spice blend. Some crunchy raw vegetables give this sandwich an extra dimension. Easy and straightforward, you can have it ready in less than 10 minutes.

We hope these recipes are helpful to you when cooking on a budget and we especially hope that you enjoy them! For more awesome recipes, download our Food Monster App where we have over 15,000 vegan and allergy friendly recipes of all kinds for you to enjoy at any time.